The celebration followed a gala dinner which was characterised with awards to institutions and individuals including Pap Saine, the co-publisher of The Point Newspaper at a colourful ceremony at Kairaba Beach Hotel on Saturday.
Njilan Senghore, the managing director of Trust Bank, said celebrating 25 years of existence is a significant milestone as the history of The Gambia is not littered with examples of private institutions with that length of existence.
However, she said not only is the bank surviving, but it has also grown to be one of the leading banks in this country and it is either a market leader or amongst the top performers across key performance metrics that include asset base, balance sheet and profitability.
The Trust Bank MD added that one metric that is important to note is that Trust Bank is the undoubted leader in the areas of social corporate responsibilities, where the bank has supported numerous initiatives that have transformed lives of Gambians across the length and breadth of this country.
She stated that Trust Bank is currently going through a period of significant change that would see the bank make significant strides in improving its digital offer, drive financial inclusion and deepen its governance systems in order to reclaim lost ground in international banking services.
Hon. Seedy Keita, the minister for Finance and Economic Affairs (MoFEA), said the growth of the bank over 25 years has been stellar; from Global Finance award of Best Emerging Bank in 6 consecutive years in customer service from 2003-2008, to the GCCI Banker of the year award for 5 years.
Additionally, he continued that the tagline of the bank as 'Proudly Gambian' is only manifested in the staffing and the ownership structure of the bank. "This is a bank that is proudly led by a lady, and it is a kudos to the government to see our female folks thriving and leading financial institutions."
However, he stated that Trust Bank has touched the lives and livelihoods of a cross section of the society from salaried staff, to the business community and to the less privileged through the corporate social responsibility activities of the bank.
Moreover, he said: "we expect other financial institutions to not only make money, but also to be cognisant of their corporate social responsibility, as well as deploy and reinvest in the community where the profits are earned.”
Representing the Central Bank Governor, Paul Mendy, the deputy governor, said the growth of any banking institution results in increased contribution to the Gross Domestic Product of the country and creates job opportunities for young Gambians.
However, he said over the past few decades, the financial industry of this country has witnessed tremendous transformation with the number of banks increasing from 5 in 1997, to the peak of 14 in 2010, before coming down to the current number of 12 banks in the country.
During the awards ceremony, the bank awarded Pap Saine as the bank's longest and most loyal customer in The Gambia's media fraternity.
When contacted for comments after receiving the award, Pap Saine said: "I am deeply happy to have received such a prestigious award from Trust Bank, a credible bank that I am happy to associate with. This award is a plus to my journalism career."
He continued: “I have a long and beautiful relationship with Trust Bank over the years and of course I am moved by the role that they have been playing in the development of this country, especially in the area of helping the people in various ways of life."
